Budgam encounter: 43 CRPF men, 20 cops injured in stone-pelting by unruly protesters, civilian death toll reaches 3

At least 43 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and about 20 policemen sustained injuries after some local Kashmiris started pelting stones at them at an encounter site in Budgam.

Three youth were killed when security forces, engaged in an encounter with militants at Durbugh village of Chadoora, opened fire to chase away protesters attempting to break the cordon around a house where militants had taken shelter. A militant was also gunned down during the encounter.

"43 CRPF jawans were injured and police reported that 20 of their men also sustained injuries in the stone pelting today, ANI quoted CRPF DIG Sanjay Kumar as saying.

Few people really made our day difficult. Lot of commotions, stone pelting, abusing and injuring our people. The operation was really difficult, we had to fight it on two different platforms, against militants and local people, Kumar said.

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Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the village early on Tuesday following information about the presence of militants, a police official said.

The search operation turned into a gunbattle after militants opened fire on the security forces, he added. As the security forces exchanged fire with the holed up militants, a large number of protestors started pelting stones at the law enforcing agencies, the official said.

Meanwhile, separatists have called for a general strike on Wednesday against the killing of civilians during Tuesday's protests and have sought an impartial inquiry into the incident.

"There should be a complete strike tomorrow and peaceful protests after Friday prayers against the incident," chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik said in a joint statement in Srinagar.

The separatists alleged that the Chadoora incident was the outcome of the Army chief General Bipin Rawat's statement warning local youth against creating hurdles during anti-militancy operations early this year.

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(With inputs from PTI)